A growing food manufacturing organization is seeking an experienced Procurement Buyer to support its red meat purchasing operations. This position will organize and manage purchasing events with a major retail customer while acting as the primary contact between the customer, suppliers, procurement, commercial, demand planning, and raw material scheduling teams.

The successful candidate will oversee supplier forecasts, purchasing agreements, pricing, inventory requirements, and service-level performance. This is an excellent opportunity for an organized procurement professional who thrives in a fast-paced food manufacturing environment and enjoys using data, supplier relationships, and commercial insights to improve availability, cost, and service.

Health and dental benefits

Life and disability insurance

Employee assistance program

Paid vacation

Training and professional development opportunities

Supportive and collaborative working environment

Long-term career growth within a growing food manufacturing organization

Responsibilities

Organize and manage purchasing events in partnership with the customer’s buying team

Act as a key point of contact between customers, suppliers, procurement, commercial, demand planning, and scheduling teams

Work alongside the Procurement Insights team to guide and influence purchasing decisions

Create and manage purchasing events and supplier agreements through the Foods Connected platform

Load agreed pricing into supplier price files and obtain supplier approval

Manage long-term purchasing contracts and supplier purchasing models

Ensure all active retail and primal product codes are accurately maintained within procurement documents





Review retail order amendments and identify solutions to improve service levels

Manage purchasing timelines and ensure buying events are completed as scheduled

Attend Sales and Operations Planning meetings

Coordinate imported meat schedules when applicable

Manage frozen and fresh inventory held at external cold-storage facilities when applicable

Work with the Demand Planner to understand long-term purchasing and raw material requirements

Oversee short- and medium-term supplier forecasts

Assess forecast increases, decreases, and shortages and determine the appropriate next steps

Review daily order shortages with the Raw Material Scheduler and assess their potential impact on the business

Develop solutions to mitigate material shortages and elevate concerns when required

Monitor supplier usage related to new product development and continuous improvement initiatives

Participate in new product development and feasibility meetings

Provide procurement insights regarding product pricing, supplier availability, timelines, and potential risks

Review and approve product costings before submission to the accounting team

Develop supplier improvement plans in partnership with the customer’s buying and commercial teams

Monitor supplier performance, inbound service levels, raw material availability,



pricing accuracy, and invoice discrepancies

Support continuous improvement initiatives related to supplier performance, purchasing processes, and cost optimization

Provide guidance, support, and feedback to one direct report

Qualifications

Previous buying, purchasing, procurement, or supply chain experience

Experience within a fast-moving fresh food or food manufacturing environment strongly preferred

Meat or protein purchasing experience considered a strong asset but is not required

Experience managing supplier relationships, purchasing agreements, pricing, contracts, and forecasts

Robust understanding of demand planning, inventory management, purchasing timelines, and supplier performance

Experience working with retail customers or major grocery accounts considered an asset

Experience using Foods Connected or a similar procurement and supplier-management platform considered an asset

Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data, identify risks, and make informed purchasing decisions

Excellent communication and relationship-building skills

Ability to work effectively with procurement, commercial, production, planning, finance, supplier, and customer teams

Strong organizational and time-management skills

Ability to manage competing priorities and prioritize work based on business risk and importance

High attention to detail and a commitment to pricing, contract, and purchasing accuracy

Proactive, self-motivated, and comfortable escalating potential service or supply issues

Previous leadership, supervisory, or team-support experience considered an asset

📌 Procurement Manager (Winnipeg)
🏢 Frey Consulting Group
📍 Winnipeg